This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/883,747, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,762, Ser. No. 10/954,189, now abandoned, Ser. No. 10/667,787, now abandoned, and Ser. No. 10/286,871, now abandoned, which are directed to light kits for footwear, a multiple function wall cover plate, a multiple function night light, and a linear tube night light with changeable light patterns. In addition, the inventor's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,926,440, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,868, U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,958, U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,117, U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,053 disclose conductor arrangements for a night light and a multiple function night light incorporated with a time piece. Other U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,947,291, 5,495,402, 5,662,408, 5,713,655, 5,803,579, 5,816,682, 5,833,350, 5,893,626, 5,998,928, 6,000,807, 6,010,228, 6,031,958, 6,033,087, 6,056,420, 6,132,072, 6,160,948, 6,161,910, 6,183,101, 6,190,017, 6,290,368, 6,337,946, 6,386,730, 6,390,647, 6,00,104, 6,411,524, 6,431,719, 6,509,832, 6,523,976, 6,550,949, 6,609,812, 6,623,416, 6,641,289, 6,648,496, 6,709,126, 5,803,579, 6,033,087, 6,031,958, 6,161,910, 6,24,273, 6,280,051, 6,431,719, 6,561,677, 6,648,496, 6,709,126, and 6,811,281 all show different light sources and applications therefore, but none teaches an LED night light incorporated with a liquid optics medium having miniatures therein to create a medium with motion and optics properties including reflective, refractive, and randomly changing optical properties resulting from motion of the miniatures within the medium.
The prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,126 disclosure a LED night light with a rotating base with 2 LED light means (80) install to let the people directly to see the LED light beam. The Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,496 discloses an arrangement in which one LED is installed on 4 corners of a cover plate with focusing features. Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,719 discloses an arrangement of LEDs behind a translucent lens that lets people directly see the LED's light beams, in which the LED arrangement is an out of date three piece LED array. The current state-of-the-art LED uses only one single piece to provide a multiple color spectral output for cost and spacing saving consideration. In contrast, the current invention utilizing LEDs as light means incorporates the liquid optics medium causes the LED light beam to be indirectly viewed due to the optics properties of the miniatures suspended therein. The features and detailed construction of the current invention's light arrangement is totally different than that of the '719 patent.
More particularly, the arrangement disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,719 differs from the current invention according to the following comparison:
(C1) The night light of the '719 patent uses a three piece LED arrangement to provide a light source with R/G/B colors having continuously changing patterns of differently colored light while a prong means is connected with a light source. This is only one of the functions of the current invention. The current invention has a plurality of functions built inside the circuit means to provide a night light which when connected with a power source, will initially have a first light function, and which can be changed to another function while using the switch means to select from a plurality of functions, and stay with the next function until reset.(C2) The '179 patent teaches use of several piece LEDs (30) (column 2, lines 6-7), “three separated LEDs” (col. 2, lines 40-45), and that “the three LEDs are series connected . . . ” (col. 2, lines 48-51). All these technical features are out of date and need too big a space for arrangement. The current invention preferably uses a single LED with different color dies inside to save space and cost for the application to fit into the limited space of a night light's housing.(C3) The light beam of the current invention can be seen by a viewer only after passing through a medium that provides a light path with reflective, refractive, diffusion, and randomly changing properties caused by the medium material and surfaces of suspended miniatures so the visible light beam is more changeable, especially when incorporated with a heater means that will cause the liquid to flow and provide stream effects, thereby increasing the eye-catching effects.(C4) In the current invention, the LEDs are not visible directly from viewer. The viewer only sees the light beam indirectly through the medium.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,648,496 discloses the same LED light functions as the '719 patent, but in a wall cover plate. Prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,709,126 discloses a rotating base and LED light arrangement on a post, but in which the light still can be directly seen in a manner similar to the light of the '719 patent, but with other features.
The LED night light with liquid optics medium of the invention can let visible wavelength light beams be seen by a viewer through the miniatures arranged within the liquid optics medium so as to create splendid light effects and a valuable appearance of the night light. The motion effects of the miniatures may be enhanced by adding a heater element near the bottom of the medium to generate currents. The heater element can include a resistor (h1) formed by a printed circuit board (b2) with conductive paths increasing in width narrow to wide to cause electricity passing through to go from cold to a higher temperature. The heater means are located under or attached to the medium to cause the medium to create a flow or stream to cause movement of the miniatures.
The miniatures within the medium media may be made oaf any material, such as (mi 1) a shell, (mi 2) leaves, (mi 3) a dry flower, (mi 4) potpourri, (mi 5) a flower, (mi 6) a plastic piece, (mi 7) floating stuff, (mi 8) fish, (mi 9) animals, (mi 10) a smiling face, (mi 11) a metal piece, (mi 12) a paper piece, (mi 13) a wood piece, (mi 14) a seed, (mi 15) a boat, (mi 16) a snow flake, (mi 17) a tree, or (mi 18) any material with designed shape and color, and/or with a design, indicia, drawing, color, painting, or coating thereon, which are available to put within the medium means and enhance the value and appearance of the medium so that it looks like conventional gift items which including a scene inside such as seasonal water ball, artificial aquarium, or kids toy with a sealed liquid.
The medium may be selected from (m1) oil, (m2) a solid plastic body, (m3) a transparent material, or (m4) any medium means which has a desired gravity, viscosity, and/or density, and which has reflective, diffusion, or optics properties and that may incorporate the LED light source to increase the value and appearance of or accent the night light.
The night light's configuration and shape may be selected from a toy, gift, souvenir, seasonal unit, holiday unit, painting, poster, sign, photo, artificial flower, doll, porcelain unit, ceramic unit, viscous-mud related unit, blow-mold unit, stuffed toys unit, promotion unit or any conventional unit in the marketplace.
The LED night light also can be appropriately arranged to as a stencil, indicia, front sheet, cover piece, or outside appearance piece with LED light means arranged to create expected light effects. The LED light means add a liquid optics medium means, miniature means, or related multiple function circuit to increase the light effects when the night light's prong is inserted into a wall outlet receptacle.
The LED night light with liquid optics medium may incorporate a circuit means capable of providing various lighting effects, such as (f1) steady, (f2) chasing, (f3) random, (f4) fade in and fade out, (f5) sequential, (f6) pair flashing, (f7) scan, (f8) color mixed, (f9) color changing, (f10) all flashing or (f11) any combinations for light effects available from the marketplace. All these functions can be designed to have a predetermined time, duration, order, and function as required.
The LED night light with liquid optics medium may also incorporate other electric devices such as (o1) motor, (o2) movement, (o3) filter device, (o4) IC chips with desired functions, (o5) sensor, and/or (o6) rotating filter to provide preferable light effects and functions.
Still further, the LED light means may be selected from the group including dice, chips, and/or a sealed unit of the LED depending on space limitations and functions required by related circuit means and control means to provide proper illumination with desired functions and effects.
Preferably, the LED light beams pass though the liquid optics medium to the viewer at visible wavelengths to get a plurality of light patterns effects when prong means are connected with a power source. The feature of having the LED device be incorporated with heater means enables the liquid optics medium means and miniatures means to have motion effects to increase the night light value and appearance.